Sweet Sake And A Six-Pack Of Beer
by GrissleMcThornbody
Summary: She was a lady, smooth and refined. He was a working man, rough but earnest. When the two mix, it can open up a road to love or to utter heartbreak. Rated T for sexual themes and alcohol use. Tamao x Ryu
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King / Flowers or any of its characters.

There was sound of breaking glass, as the light blue vase shattered against the wall of the Funbari Onsen. It was a cold winter day, but the pink haired young woman out in the snow only wore her high school uniform. She stood slumped over panting, tears running down her cheeks. With a scream she launched another vase at the building. There was a wail from inside the house of the child which had been left in her care without any warning.

The young woman was reaching for the next victim, when a warm firm hand seized her wrist. She looked up into the eyes of a large black haired man with a strange coif. He slowly shook his head. She let out another scream and tried to break free of his grip, but he only pulled her close to him. She bit him, but he only stroked her hair. Then she finally collapsed in a fit of tears, and he picked her up, carried her inside, and made her a glass of hot chocolate.

* * *

Tamao Tamamura sat at the table, a book full of numbers and calculator in front of her. Her pink hair was pulled back in a bun; it made it easier to concentrate on the accounting. Above her she could hear the sound of her eleven year-old ward, Hana, walking around. It had been nine years since he had been left in her care. At that time she was only fifteen years old and had also just lost her master in a car accident. The strong memory made her eyes burn. She quickly wiped them and continued on with her work.

There was the sound of someone entering through the inn's back door, and the sound of shopping bags filled the room.

"I'm home," called a man's voice.

Tamao didn't even look up from her work for a second. She knew exactly who it was. A few moments later a dark haired man, whose doo vaguely resembled a cannon, entered carrying two grocery bags. He smiled and handed the woman a long receipt.

"Thank you Ryu," Tamao said, carefully placing the receipt in a file folder.

"It's nothing Mistress Tamao," he replied cheerily.

As Tamao continued working on the books, Ryu glanced around the room awkwardly. Then he cleared his throat and placed the two bags on the table. The woman looked up from her calculations.

"What is this?" she asked, noticing the neck of a glass bottle sticking out of the top of one of the bags.

The man rubbed the back of his neck and turned away, noticeably uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and looked down at the bags. Tamao could see he was blushing a bit.

"Well," he explained. "You have been working on the taxes all day and figured you could use a break, so I bought you a bottle of sake and, you know, a six pack of beer. No big deal, just whenever you get to a good stopping point, you should relax."

She raised her eyebrows at him then turned her attention to the bags. She riffled through the first bag, pulling out a six-pack of German import beer. Then she pulled out the sake bottle and studied the label carefully. It was her favorite brand. She looked up at the Ryu who averted his gaze quickly. She let out a sigh and stood up, holding the six-pack in one hand and the sake in the other.

"Come on," She muttered as she headed towards the kitchen. "It's bad luck to drink alone."

Tamao sat down on the counter wedged between grocery bags. Ryu went to the cupboard and retrieved two tall glasses and a bottle opener. The woman handed him the case of beer, he poured each of them a glass. They rapped the rims together and drank.

Tamao felt her shoulders relax, as the two of them sat in silence. She peered up at the man, noticing he had barely touched his drink. She glanced away.

"What's wrong Ryu?" She asked quietly.

The man shifted uncomfortably again. Then he took a large swig from his glass. His eyes were distant, as if he was looking down a formidable foe. It made her uncomfortable too.

"It's about Hana," he finally said. "It seems that now-"

"Wait," Tamao interjected. "I'm not drunk enough to be discussing anything about him today."

She then proceeded to down the rest of her beer in one swig. She held out her glass and Ryu obediently refilled it. Quickly that glass was also gone, and he refilled her cup again. Tamao smiled, letting the buzz of the alcohol permeate throughout her whole body.

"Do you remember how things used to be here," Ryu asked, looking off into the distance again. Despite its harsh features, his face had a soft expression. Tamao recognized it as a mixture of happiness and sorrow, which meant the usually impulsive man was deep in thought. "It was very lively here then too."

She nodded . She had known Ryu for many years now, and ever since the Shaman Fights had ended she couldn't think of a single time the Funbari's head cook had abandoned her. He had seen this place change right beside her. She rubbed her now stingy eyes.

Ryu glanced at her questioningly, but just refilled her glass when she shoved it at him.

They drank in silence for Tamao didn't know how many minutes. They finished off the rest of the beer and moved on to the sake. All the while Ryu remained pensive. It was surprising; Tamao for some odd reason thought this side of the man was actually cool. Though, it was nice when he was goofy too, especially when she was having a bad day.

Tamao shook her head. Why was she looking at him like that? It was making her heart feel strange. She could feel the temperature rising in her cheeks, though she wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol or not. She slapped her cheek lightly to test. Her heart raced. It wasn't just the alcohol. She glanced back him.

Ryu was staring at her intensely.

"Are you alright Mistress Tamao," he asked carefully studying her face.

His thick eyelashes were so beautiful up close. Behind them she could see the small hint of brown in his black eyes which was usually hidden. She could feel her pulse speeding up and tried to avoid his gaze. He pressed his large hand to her cheek, causing her stomach to form a tight knot.

"Don't call me that," she whispered slowly. The knot throbbed. She turned away, realizing what she had just said. "I mean, I'm fine."

"Okay."

Ryu began to take his hand back, but Tamao grabbed it before he could. She looked up at him, not sure of what she wanted from there.

"What was it that you had to say about Hana?" she murmured.

Ryu quickly looked away, snatching his hand from her. He finished his drink and placed his cup in the sink. Then he took her hands in his. Tamao couldn't read the look in his eyes as he stared at her.

"I think you need to find Hana a father figure. You're young. You don't have to be a loner like me just because Hana's here. Don't you have anyone you're interested in?"

The question slammed into the woman hard. She could see the genuine concern in his eyes, which only caused the knot her stomach to feel like it was being jerked in every direction. She tore her hands from his, and shoved away from the counter. She wanted to get out of that room. Something inside of her couldn't bare looking at him for another single second.

Suddenly she tripped over herself falling to the floor. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. She began to crawl towards the kitchen door, but the pain in her heart kept from going far. Ryu knelt down beside her and picked her up in his strong arms. She buried her face in his chest as he carried her down the hallway to her room. Then he gently placed her on her bed.

Without thinking Tamao forcefully seized the collar of his robe before he could get up. She pulled herself towards him, her heart racing, the knot in her stomach filling her with a need which overcame the power of words. She could feel his breath on her face, and then the tender warmth of his lips on hers.

He delicately pulled away from her.

"Mistress-" he whispered, but she cut him off with another kiss.

His arms wrapped around her passionately as he kissed her back. They separate for only a moment before returning to each other's embrace. She stroked his course face slowly and then his chest. Her hands slid down his muscular shoulders, feeling each contour. His fingers danced lightly on her cheeks, as their ardor grew.

Then he suddenly pulled away from her, his eyes avoiding her needy ones. His face was bright red. He cleared his throat.

"We're drunk," he whispered. His eyes were filled that strange look she had seen earlier in the night. Her fingers pinched the edge of his robe. The look he gave her then was one of clear distress. "Can you say you're sure?"

Tamao was taken aback. She let go of his robe and turned away from him.

"I don't know," she admitted. She hadn't really felt anything like this with him before that night, but kissing him had felt so right all she wanted was to over and over again.

She closed her eyes and leaned in again, but all she received was air. Then his soft lips were pressed against her forehead. Tears trickled down her cheeks. She looked up at him, eyes filled with yearning, but the man just shook his head.

"Can we try again?" she found herself asking suddenly, as he began to leave the room.

He stopped and smiled, turning off the lights.

"Of course, Ms. Tamao."

Then he left the room, leaving Tamao in a daze in the darkness. She flipped onto her side and pulled the covers tightly around her. She didn't wipe the tears from her face, because if she did, she was not sure if she would be able to tell if that night was real. So she lay there until the fog of sleep overwhelmed her and she was filled with love fueled dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

A week passed, and Tamao was starting to wonder if that night she had shared with Ryu was just a strange dream. The morning after, she had woken up to find breakfast prepared on a tray by her bed along with Ryu's famous hangover remedy. Whenever she saw him after that, he just smiled and went about his normal business, not even the slightest bit flustered. The only difference Tamao noticed was that he now called her "Miss Tamao" instead of "Mistress." However, between his work and watching Hana, she felt like she had barely seen him.

So one day, when she found graffiti covering the sign by the road, she felt beyond frustrated. She took the sign down and replaced it with a makeshift one. She was going to kill the punks who did this. Then, that night, after Hana had gone to bed, Ryu found her.

"Put this on," he said tossing a small bundle over to her. "Come back after you've changed."

Tamao could feel her face heating up. The packaging was dark so she couldn't tell what might be inside. Ponchi and Conchi must have sensed her distress, because before she could stop them, they had thrown themselves in the large man's face.

"What do you think you're trying to do huh?" the scraggily fox snarled.

"Don't think just because she dreams about you that you can do whatever you want," the other growled.

Tamao froze. She was stunned far beyond embarrassment. Ryu's face turned bright red, and his nostrils flared.

"Do I look like the kind of guy who would do something like that!"

The pink haired woman's horror slowly began to melt away, as she watched the large man and the two spirits argue. She let out a sigh. Ryu was much too honest to try to pull a stunt like that. She quietly slipped away from the small brawl which was ensuing to the ladies changing room. She seated herself on one of the benches and carefully opened the package.

There were indeed clothes in it. She pulled out the first article of clothing. It was a red lacy camisole. She blushed; perhaps she was wrong about Ryu. However, all her worries were dispelled when she pulled out the second article, a long black button down shirt. Tamao smiled. On the back embroidered in red thread was a large tengu mask with a floral wreath surrounding it.

"My old symbol ," she whispered, running a finger lovingly over the design. She could feel a warmth growing in her eyes. "It seems so long ago."

She had a growing suspicion about what the last thing was, and was not surprised when she pulled out a long black pleated skirt. She held it up to her waist. It was the right size, as were all the other clothes. Having Ryu do the laundry ended up being a good idea after all.

She quickly changed and reentered the main room to see Ryu standing there in a leather jacket, resting two wooden swords on his shoulder. His eyes grew wide when he saw here enter and small crept across his lips. He tossed her one of the wooden swords, which she caught with ease.

"So, you ready to go," he asked with a wink. "Tengu Alice?"

Tamao blushed; she had many regrets from the time that she had been called that. The two of them strolled out to the curb, where Ryu's motorcycle was waiting. He tossed her a helmet and put on his own. She climbed onto the bike behind him, sheathed the sword between her thigh and the bike's body, and gripped the seat tightly.

"I don't look too weird do I?" she asked suddenly feeling a wave of discomfort come over her.

"Of course not Ms. Tamao," he said with a grin. Tamao wasn't positive because of the darkness, but it looked like he was blushing. "You look absolutely beautiful."

She didn't expect Ryu to really know if she looked good or not, after all, the man had a strange sense of taste, but just hearing him compliment her eased her nerves.

The motorcycle roared to life and they went speeding into the sleeping town. The streetlights whizzed by in darts of blue and gold, and danced playfully on the two riders' faces. Tamao watched the passing storefronts, feeling a sense of calm seeing their caged windows. She turned to Ryu and tapped his shoulder.

"Where are we going?" she yelled over the roar of the wind.

"To teach the local punks a lesson!" He cried with a whoop.

The bike suddenly accelerated, nearly causing Tamao to fall off. She quickly clutched Ryu for support. His back was warm and comforting to her racing heart. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his jacket. He smelled of sweat and a bit of cologne. He must have spruced up before taking her out, but she didn't mind.

They zipped down side streets and alleyways until they reached an abandoned fragrance shop. Tamao let go of Ryu and quickly hopped off the bike. She studied the boarded up windows and graffiti, taking note of the empty spray cans which lay about. A golden snake, a blue frog, and a red shark: this was definitely the work of the same scumbags who had ruined her sign.

"So," she muttered. "Is this it?"

Ryu just smiled confidently.

Out of the darkness of the building there came the sound of laughing and then footsteps. A group of four teenage boys exited the abandoned storefront, carrying what looked to be police batons. They stopped as the saw Tamao and her tall companion. The oldest looking of the group stepped forward with a sneer on his face.

"Well hello there," He crooned, shooting a quick wink to his buddies. "You're one sexy lady to be hanging out with a weirdo like that."

"Says the little boy with frosted tips," Tamao shot back.

The boys behind him stifled laugh, and the boy scowled. He lifted his baton threateningly.

"You want me to hurt you bitch?"

She just shrugged, causing the boy to suddenly fly into a screaming rage. He charged at Tamao full speed, baton poised to strike her in the face. In the blink of an eye, Tamao lifted her sword and struck it across the young man's face, grounding him instantly.

Ryu came up beside her and shifted his wait onto one side. Then he nodded to one of the now stunned boys who had been laughing before.

"Show us your leader." he ordered in a surprisingly cool fashion.

The boy was shaking, but he apparently was still confident enough to give lip service.

"What does an old guy like you want with him?"

Ryu froze. Tamao could slowly see his aura of cool crumble like a glacier into the sea. She sighed. It was nice while it lasted. Ryu suddenly snapped.

"Who are you calling old man you little punk!" he yelled.

Tamao felt bad for Ryu; that was a touchy subject for the now thirty-two year-old man. She waited patiently as Ryu and the boys squabbled back and forth. Then once the insults had turned into a "who had the worst hair" competition, she finally decided to step in.

She calmly approached the boys, skirt billowing in the wind. Then she took her sword and drove it into the ground in front of her. The boys fell silent and so did Ryu. She looked each of the over slowly, trying to be as intimidating as possible. Then she smiled.

"I'm sorry," she chimed. "It seems we got off topic. I asked to see your boss. Now where is he?"

The boys whimpered, which just made Tamao smile even more. Then "lip-service" finally pointed a shaking hand at the abandoned store. The pink haired woman nodded and began to brush past them, when one of them grabbed her arm.

Ryu lifted his sword to strike, but Tamao shook her head. She then turned to the boy, and slowly peeled his hand off of her.

"Fine. If you don't want me to go in, you can go tell your boss that Tengu Alice has a bone to pick with him."

"Who?" the boy asked, going pale.

"Well aren't you going to go?" she purred pivoting away from him just enough for him to get a good view of the back of her shirt.

The boys scampered into the building, leaving Tamao and Ryu alone.

Tamao looked up at him and softened up. The man was sulking, probably a combination of anticipating some action and the old insult. She patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I don't think you're old. They're just dumb kids."

He looked away bashfully, causing Tamao to become suddenly self-conscious about the fact she was touching him again. She removed her hand and turned away. The night air should have been helping to cool down her burning cheeks, but if anything they were just feeling warmer. She turned back to him.

"Ryu, I-"

Tamao stopped. There were many pairs of footsteps coming from the building. Ryu readied his sword, and she straightened up to give herself a bit more height.

Out of the building came a small crowd of high school students. They were clearly punks; shirts unbuttoned, hair dyed, ears pierced. However, Tamao knew that it wasn't the punks you had to worry about. The very last boy to exit the building was massive. He looked like a professional football player, and on his hands were a pair of armored gloves.

The boy lumbered up to the front of the group and looked Ryu and Tamao over. He then smirked, showing off a fighter's mouth.

"What do you want?" he boomed.

He reminded Tamao of an oni when he spoke, especially since spit flew out with each "t." But onis were bigger than this guy and a lot scarier. She raised her sword so that it was pointing straight at the boy's eyes.

"Compensation," she said coolly.

The large boy laughed, signaling the crowd to follow his example. Then he looked down at her as if she were a little kid.

"I thought Tengu Alice would be a lot scarier," he said mockingly. "But you're actually pretty hot, so I'll let this slide at the price you become Steel Fist Haru's girlfriend."

He then winked at her clumsily. Tamao wanted to gag, but knew that it would be perceived as weakness. Instead she just glared at him.

"Not a chance of that," she hissed. "You're going to regret underestimating me."

Steel Fist Haru grinned and cracked his knuckles. Then with a surprising amount of speed he had lunged at the pink haired woman. Tamao summoned strength from her Ultimate Shugen, and with one stroke she had knocked him to the ground. She placed a foot on his head and leaned down close to his ear.

"I need that money," she whispered.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her ankle, and the massive high school student stood up and flipped her upside down. Her skirt hung down over her face so she couldn't see a thing. She heard Ryu scream her name, but all she could focus on was the fact that these high school punks could all see her underwear. She swung the sword blindly at her attacker, but she just couldn't focus any of her power.

There was a scream, and Tamao dropped to the ground. She flung her skirts out of her face to see Ryu standing in front of her with only his wooden sword. Steel Fist Haru was holding his face in pain. Ryu had just saved her.

"Don't drop your guard," He said nodding toward the group of punks which had now surrounded them. Then he raised his sword up with one hand to point it at Steel Fist Haru. "I will be your opponent from now on."

With two mighty blows, Steel Fist Haru collapsed to the ground in tears. Ryu walked up and poked the boy with his sword.

"Don't you ever mess with my lady friend again! Or her signs. Got it?"

The boy whimpered and nodded. Ryu smiled and offered him a hand and lifted the boy up. He patted him on the back.

"You put up a good fight," he said jovially. "I just have more experience. You aren't really much of a fighter are you?"

The boy shook his head. Ryu dramatically took the boy by his massive shoulders and leveled his gaze.

"Then stop this and go home." Then he turned to the rest of the group. "That goes for all of you!"

The gang of boys scampered off, leaving Tamao sitting on the ground confused and bewildered. Ryu walked over to her, confident smile plastered on his face. He helped her off the ground and brushed her off.

"You didn't hurt them," she said, staring at him. _You were really cool._

She felt her cheeks begin to heat up. She snatched her hand away from his and turned away.

"Thank you."

He grinned and ruffled her hair, causing Tamao to glare up at him. He pulled his hand away blushing.

"So did you like our first date?" he asked.

Tamao's heart beat sped up; he had just called it a date. His face glowed brightly in the moonlight. His hair glistened, almost too much. In fact, everything about him seemed to be glowing too much.

Tamao turned around and looked to the rooftop just in time to see, two men scamper off. Her jaw dropped. She looked back to Ryu who was standing there blushing. She narrowed her eyes and studied his face carefully.

"Ryu."

He cleared his throat and avoided her gaze.

"Yes, Miss Tamao?"

"Did you stage this?"

"No…"

It was suddenly all completely clear. He had found this place way too easily. And those boys didn't completely seem like high school boys, especially that Steel Fist Haru. She had been too blinded by the fact they had ruined her sign to see the truth.

"One weeks pay," She declared.

Ryu's jaw dropped, and Tamao headed back to the bike.

"What?"

"That should cover the damages to my sign." She picked up her helmet, dusted it off and climbed on the bike. "Next time just take me bowling or something."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she tossed him his helmet and cut him off.

"Also. It's just Tamao. The 'Miss' thing is weird."

"Yes Miss…"

She gave him a dark look.

"Yes Tamao."

She smiled and strapped on her helmet.

"Now let's go home."

He smiled and climbed on the bike in front of her. She wrapped her arms around him, and they sped off.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yes," Tamao said firmly into the phones receiver. "I'll be sure to make sure it doesn't happen again. Thank you."

Tamao let out a sigh and hung up. Her eyebrows knotted themselves, creating wrinkles on her normally pristine skin. She pressed a cool hand to her forehead to try to ease the horrible dizzy feeling that was starting to over whelm her.

Ponchi, her fat, spoiled raccoon spirit, tugged at her robes. His usually snide look was one of concern.

"Are you okay Tamao," he asked. "Was it the school again?"

Tamao cringed at that word. It was the third call this month she had received from her ward Hana's teacher. Sometimes dealing with the eleven year old made her want to die. She shook her head and smiled down at Ponchi.

"I'm fine," she said smoothly. "But someone else is about to not be."

Then she turned to face the stairs and took in a deep breath.

"HANA!"

There was a moment of silence before the sandy blonde head appeared at the top of the stairs. The boy's dark brown eyes glared back at the woman's pink ones. The woman glared back.

"What do you want woman?" the boy challenged.

Tamao simply smirked and took a very poised stance.

"Are you sure you want to use that tone with me?"

The boy gulped.

Two hours later Tamao sat in the living room, hunched over her book of taxes. She was still exhausted from her argument with Hana. She had to berate him for challenging the teacher in the middle of class… again. He was such a difficult kid sometimes; he was just as unfriendly as his mother, but he was outgoing like his father.

Tamao found herself laying her head on the cool paperwork. She knew she should probably tell Anna about the latest issue with Hana, but the blonde woman would probably not be happy to be disturbed. She really wished Ryu had bought sake for tonight. The weird man's company was exactly what she needed right now.

Since that evening two weeks before when he had taken her on that date, they had been really busy. The Funbari Onsen was actually getting a lot of business, and Hana was, well, misbehaving. In fact, this night was the first time that they hadn't had a customer staying over. Maybe she would be able to talk to him after he finished making dinner.

Tamao had gotten a little over halfway done when a green human-like spirit floated up to her. She raised a brow at him.

"Yes, Tokagero?" she said expectantly.

" Ryu asked me to tell you that he will not be making dinner tonight."

"What?"

The spirit flinched and glanced about the room as if trying to find his answer on the walls.

"Well, you see," the spirit mumbled. "Ryu… uh… He just told me to tell you that."

Tamao's stomach let out a groan of protest, causing her temper to seem that much harder to control. She lowered her head and stood up. Then she turned towards the kitchen.

"Then I guess I better go whip something up," she sighed. "Since Ryu has obviously forgotten what his job is again."

The spirit leaped in front of her. She stared the grimy bandit spirit down long and hard.

"If you are worried about Hana, he's already been taken care of," he blurted.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Tamao stood up and began to head for the kitchen. She was going to give that Ryu a piece of her mind. Tokagero chased after her pleading with her to stop. When Tamao entered the kitchen she found no one was there. All the dishes were clean and there was a small box with rice and fish covered on the counter. The woman turned slowly to the ghost.

"Where is he?" she demanded, eye twitching.

At that moment Ryu wandered in through the back door whistling and carrying a bag of groceries. He froze when he saw Tamao glaring at him.

"Oh," he said dropping the groceries. He laughed nervously and shot her a wink. "Aren't you looking beautiful today?"

Tamao felt her face start to burn. Her mind was on fire from both embarrassment and rage. It took every ounce of her control not to scream at him.

"Ryu," she said with surprising grace. "What exactly were you thinking?"

He gave her a weak smile then shrugged, causing the woman let out a sigh. Ryu was one of those guys who really tried way too hard to be cool. Perhaps it had to do with trying to impress her, but Tamao was pretty certain that he really did think he was cool.

"If you want to ask me out, warn me ahead of time," she said flatly.

Ryu jumped back in shock.

"How did you know?" he gasped. Then he glared at Tokagero. "You told her didn't you!"

"No way Ryu!"

"Then how does she know!"

"Don't ask me!"

While the man and the spirit bickered, Tamao glanced up at the ceiling towards Hana's room, contemplating her options. She hadn't finished the taxes yet, but they weren't due for another week. Hana would probably be getting hungry soon, but dinner had been made for him and he could feed himself. Then only question was whether he'd get himself into trouble while she was gone or not. She could monitor while she was away. Besides she had waited for an opportunity like this for a while.

"Alright," she said finally. Ryu and Tokagero stopped and stared at her. "I have to put up the books first though."

She ran back to living room and put away the binder of papers. She ran to her room and threw on a dress and light jacket. Then she went to the foot of the stairs and called up to Hana.

"Ryu and I will be away for a bit!" she yelled.

"Good!"

Her eye twitched a bit at his response, but at least he was being honest. That kid was becoming such a handful. She sighed and dashed off towards the kitchen where Ryu was waiting awkwardly bent over. She smiled at him, and he straightened up, beaming.

Thirty minutes later the couple was pulling up, on Ryu's motorcycle, to a dilapidated bowling alley. The billboard which read "Star-crossed Lanes" drooped over one of the windows that weren't boarded up. The walls were a solid tan, with small hints of graffiti decoration.

Tamao gracefully hopped off of the back of the bike. She raised her eyebrows at the man, who was fiddling with his helmet strap furiously.

"You need some help Ryu?" She asked sweetly.

Ryu suddenly stopped and smiled sheepishly.

"The clasp must have melted together somehow," he said rubbing the back of his neck.

Tamao couldn't help but chuckle; it was so obvious the man was lying to save face. Then she sighed and helped him remove his helmet. Ryu averted his eyes, and Tamao could see him blush a little bit. As soon as the helmet was off he shied away from her and began to head towards the dilapidated building. He opened the creaky front door and entered. Tamao silently followed.

Once they were both inside the building began to light up. Christmas lights were wrapped around poles and strewn across counters. The bowling lanes came to life as well. The machines in the arcade flashed colorfully. Tamao's breath caught; it was beautiful.

"You took my suggestion literally didn't you?" she said flatly.

"Wh- what! No!," Ryu stammered. He blushed and looked away, and Tamao suppressed a laugh. He rubbed the back of his neck and then gestured towards one of the bowling lanes. "So do you want to?"

Tamao nodded.

As they bowled Tamao realized that she hadn't ever really bowled before. The last time she had even done anything remotely like this was when Mikihisa had taken her after the Shaman Fights had ended, and she had used the bumpers that time. Ryu by comparison seemed like an expert, usually at least getting a spare.

The first match ended with Ryu winning by over one hundred points. During the second Ryu gave Tamao advice on how to roll the ball properly, and when that didn't work he actually guided her through the motions.

His rough hands were warm on Tamao's skin. She could feel his steady breathing as he slowly walked her through the steps. Tamao could feel her cheeks growing warm, and she couldn't help but sigh in disappointment as he stepped away and told her to try it by herself.

Tamao only lost that match by sixty points, and the next match she managed to get within forty points of Ryu's score. Ryu congratulated each time she made a spare. Then during the fourth match, Tamao suddenly found herself in his arms after scoring a strike.

Their faces were only centimeters apart, and Tamao could feel her heart begin to race. Ryu's black eyes stared at her softly through the sea of dark lashes. His warm breath tumbled onto her face, causing tingles the run up her spine. Her eyes closed.

Suddenly the sound of static crackled through the air. Tamao's eyes flew wide open, but Ryu looked completely relaxed. Then there was the sound of a slow steady beat and piano over the speaker system, followed by the deep thrumming of a man's singing.

"_Wise men say only fools rush in…_"

Tamao let out a sigh of relief and then a nervous laugh, which Ryu cut short with a kiss. His warm lips caressed hers, causing Tamao to melt in his arms. They embraced for a few seconds before he slowly eased away from her and offered her a hand.

"May I have this dance?"

Tamao took his hand, and he pulled her close. They swayed in a simple two-step to the music.

"This is really cheesy," she said, smirking.

"What? You do not like Elvis?" he replied, in an almost teasing manner. Then he started singing slightly off-key. "_Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be._"

Tamao couldn't help but laugh as the man held her close and sang. He gave her a goofy grin and continued. Then the woman sighed and rested her head on his chest.

Ryu stopped dancing and looked down at her. She looked back up at him in confusion. His face was serious. She furrowed her brows in question.

"I'm in love with you," he answered quietly.

Tamao's eyes grew wide. Her heart raced at million miles per hour. Blood was rushing to her cheeks. Her thinking became blurry. She lifted her head from his chest so she could really study him. His eyes were solemn. She snickered.

"I'm serious," he said, and Tamao's snickering subsided.

Her eyes began to sting and she pressed her cheek against his chest again.

"I know," she whispered.

The music began to fade away, as the two stood holding each other. Ryu kissed Tamao on the forehead.

"We should be going," he said gently.

Tamao wiped her eyes and nodded. They left the building hand in hand and watched the lights shut down. Ryu smiled at the woman and handed her a motorcycle helmet. She grinned back. The man strapped on his own helmet and climbed onto the bike.

Tamao's face grew warm and her breathing caught, as she felt a knot form in her stomach.

"Hey, Ryu?"

"Yes?" he asked.

Tamao averted her gaze, causing the man to give her a curious look.

"Umm.. It's nothing," she said finally after a few seconds. "Just tell your friends thank you for me."

He nodded, she climbed on behind him, and they sped off into the distance, back to the Funbari Onsen.


	4. Chapter 4

Tamao Tamamura walked up the stairs to her ward's room. She lightly knocked on his door, and opened it. Hana Asakura was lying on the ground with a pair of headphones on and a girly magazine in his hands. A moment of silence seeped by before Tamao scowled and snatched the magazine from the protesting twelve year old.

"Where did you get this?" Tamao demanded, holding up a picture of a large breasted bleach blonde in nothing but a thong.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" the boy yelled at her.

Tamao reached over and yanked his headphones off, causing him to hold his ears as if the ambient noise of the outside world was burning him. She set them on the bed next to him and shoved the magazine in his face.

"Where did you get this?" she repeated.

The boy turned away from her, an angry pout on his face. "I don't know."

Tamao's eye twitched, as she folded up the smutty material and placed it under her arm.

"Are you sure that is your final answer?" she said in a steely voice.

The boy's eyes grew wide, and he looked up at her. His eyes were full of fear. Tamao straightened up and cocked her head to the side causing the boy to start visibly sweating.

"I-it was from Ryu!" he cried cowering. "Please don't use the Shugen!"

Tamao smiled, but inside she was beginning to catch fire. Then she elegantly floated from the room, slamming the door behind her. Then she lightly descended the stairs, where she was greeted by Ponchi and Conchi who had heard the commotion upstairs. They pestered her about what had happened, but she didn't answer. Instead, she let them follow her to the kitchen, where Ryu was busy slicing up a small salmon and talking to Tokagero.

"Ryu," Tamao said in a voice which caused the small fox and raccoon to flinch.

The large man stiffened up and turned around, smiling grimly at the pink haired woman. Her face was the pristine image of calm except for the dark aura swirling about it. Ryu's long time friend and guardian ghost disappeared.

"Yes Tamao?" Ryu said, trying to sound cheery. "What is it?"

She held up the magazine. Ryu's face went ghostly white. It was almost as if he had been turned into stone.

"Could you tell me why Hana had this?" she asked smoothly. Her face was beginning to burn up as the man started blabbering around the subject. She glared at him, and the man began shaking. "Ryu is this yours?"

Ryu's face went blank and then he gave an angelic smile. "Of course not."

"Liar."

Ryu coward behind his knife, but continued to attempt to smile at the fuming woman. Somehow Tamao managed to hold up her composure, despite Ryu's blatant guilt. The most annoying part of the whole situation was how the magazine was beginning to gnaw at her self esteem. She knew that most guys considered her to be good looking, but the idea that Ryu might like one of those tramps more than her hurt. Would he have taken her more seriously if she looked like one of those girls? Tamao looked down away from him.

Ryu took the brief moment of weakness to slowly approach the woman. He lowered his knife and placed a warm callused hand on her outstretched arm. Her gaze snapped up at him, and she jerked her arm away.

"Could we discuss this somewhere else?" he whispered softly.

Tamao looked into his gentle eyes and felt a part of her angry subside. She lowered her arm and nodded.

They went back to Tamao's room. The whole way there Ryu followed a step or two behind the woman. Then he shut the door behind them. Tamao sensed around the house to make sure that Hana wasn't eavesdropping, before tossing the magazine on the ground in front of the man.

Ryu knelt down, picked it up, and looked up at her guiltily. Tamao's heart pounded furiously. She wasn't sure whether to punch him or take the opportunity to kiss him. She hadn't really ever been in this type of situation before.

"Tamao," Ryu began.

"Did you give it to him?" Tamao asked flatly.

"Of course not," he replied; this time he was being honest.

Tamao should have sighed in relief, but she didn't. The feelings of insecurity were somehow stronger than her protectiveness of Hana. Ryu's dark eyes stared at her in concern as they stood in silence.

"Are those the type of women you like?" Tamao found herself whispering suddenly.

The man's eyes grew wide in surprise, before a deep frown set on his face. Tamao turned away and closed her eyes. The troublesome knot had returned to her stomach again, but this time it felt cold as if she was being stabbed with an icicle. Then two large arms wrapped around her, filling her with warmth. Her eyes began to burn.

Ryu's rough mustache brushed against her skin as he kissed her on the cheek. Tamao squirmed away from him.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, tears spilling out of her eyes. "I'm mad at you right now."

"Over what?" Ryu asked, looking dumbfounded.

"Don't ask me what," Tamao scolded. She wiped her eyes. Her chest hurt horribly. Why did she have to feel this way; she hated it. "You like those women with big boobs and light hair. And I'm just a girl-"

Ryu closed the distance between them in less than a second. He seized Tamao and pulled her into a fierce hug, forcing her head into his chest. Tamao struggled, but the man wouldn't let go. After a couple of seconds she relaxed. He smelled like fish, spice, and tobacco, which usually would be really gross, but to the young woman in his arms it was a smell she found surprisingly calming, though it might have also been due to the warmth of his chest against her cheek.

"Don't be childish," he said, causing Tamao to look up at him in surprise. "You're more woman than all of them combined." He smiled down at her. "You run a business, you have worked since before graduating high school, and you even raised another's child as your own." His eyes were earnest as he continued. "You're far more beautiful than an old guy like me could even pray for, so how you could even think that they have anything on you?"

Tamao's eyes began tear up again. She hugged Ryu tightly, burying her face in his chest. It was Ryu's turn to look a bit surprised, before returning to smiling and kissing her head.

"Thank you," Tamao cried.

She looked up at him and raised her hands to his face. Then she twined her fingers around his neck and pulled him in. His lips were warm on hers, and she kissed him long and hard. Ryu pulled away panting and blushing, causing Tamao to smile. Then he pulled her close and kissed her on the mouth.

Tamao's knees felt weak, but the strong man held her tight against him. His hands started around her waist, but as their kissing dragged one hand found its way to Tamao's butt. She yelped as he squeezed one cheek and she tried to push away from him, but he held her tightly and quickly subdued her again.

After a couple of minutes there was a knock on the door. The two quickly broke apart and straightened themselves up. Once Tamao was sure she didn't look too flushed she slowly slid the door open to reveal Hana with a stack of magazines.

"Hana," Tamao said, making a conscious effort to keep her voice even. "Is something wrong."

The boy shook his head. "I found Ryu's hidden stash," he said as he dropped the stack at her feet. "Are you alright?" Then he peered through the door.

"Everything is fine," Tamao answered quickly. "We were actually just discussing that."

"Why does Ryu have a hard on?" he asked looking up at her skeptically.

Tamao blinked and then looked back to see that Ryu blushing furiously. It took a lot of effort for her to keep from melting out of sheer embarrassment. She inwardly gulped.

"Well," Tamao said slowly. "I was just questioning him about the magazine."

The eleven year old peered in at the man with a rather unimpressed look on his face. "Wow Ryu , I didn't know you were that sad," he said flatly and then wandered back up the stairs.

Tamao waited until the boy was out of sight to look down at the smutty magazines at her feet. A large breasted blue eyed woman in an apron stared up at her. She glared back at Ryu who was frozen like a statue.

''Ryu…"

"Yes?" he yelped.

"I expect those to be gone by tomorrow morning," she said coolly. Then she stepped past the magazines into the hallway. She began to walk toward the front door. "I'm going to store," she called back.

"Why?" Ryu yelled after her.

"Kerosene."

Ryu whimpered.

Then the door slammed, as Tamao left the Funbari Onsen, smiling.


End file.
